The content of this site is protected by Copyscape. Please do not use any of the site's content without the express permission of the author. For more information, click on the banner below.

How to Stop Snoring If You Have a Deviated Septum

One
of the most common causes of snoring and
sleep apnea is a deviated
septum. In other words, a malformation of the bone that
"divides" your nostrils.

If your partner frequently complains
about your loud or otherwise excessive snoring, and you often have
troubles breathing or with nasal congestion, there's a good chance your
issues could be related to nasal septum deviation. Luckily, this issue
can usually be easily resolved through various natural treatments,
medication, or even surgery when all else fails.

The nasal septum is the thin strip of bone and cartilage that separates
your right and left nasal cavities. In an ideal world, your septum
would be directly in the middle of your nose, causing each cavity to be
exactly the same size. However, the
bone and cartilage that makes up
the septum is quite
fragile, and therefore can easily be displaced to
one side or the other, i.e. deviated.

When a septum is crooked or off center, it causes the nasal passages to
be misaligned, which constricts
one or both nasal passages and makes
breathing more difficult. This condition is actually incredibly common
and it has been estimated that up
to 80 percent of the population has
at least some degree of septum deviation.

However,
in most cases the
individual is completely unaware of the issue, as it never causes any
breathing difficulties. Still, in more severe cases, the deviated
septum can cause a myriad
of other problems, which can usually only be
resolved by treating the deviation.

There are a number of different things that can lead to a misaligned
septum, although by far the most common cause is trauma to the nose,
such as getting hit or otherwise injuring
or breaking your nose.
Nonetheless, it can also be caused by other genetic disorders, or by a
congenital defect that develops when the nose is compressed either in
the womb or during childbirth.

Symptoms
and Problems Associated with Septum Deviation

Snoring
and breathing difficulties are typically the most common
complaints heard by those suffering from more severe deviations. In
many cases, the congestion or breathing problems are much worse in one
nostril, as the crooked septum is being pushed into that nasal cavity
and restricting it from expanding fully while breathing in.

In some cases, the person only experiences these issues when lying
down, although this can still be equally as damaging as it also often
leads to obstructive sleep apnea.

This
can seriously degrade a
person's
quality of sleep, causing sleep deprivation and possibly a
whole host
of other, potentially more serious health consequences.

In addition, in more cases, some people also experience frequent,
sometimes severe nosebleeds, headaches and migraines, facial pain,
frequent sneezing and sinus infections. Furthermore, it can even
interfere with your ability to smell properly, and some people
completely lose their sense of smell due to their deviated septum.

Diagnosing
and Treating Deviations in the Nasal Septum

If you often experience
any of the symptoms listed above, the first thing your doctor will
usually do is take an
x-ray of your nose. An x-ray should easily show the exact
placement of your septum, and allow the doctor to determine how severe
the deviation is. This is important because the placement and degree of
deviation will determine what the best course of treatment will be.

In less severe cases, it is usually possible to treat the symptoms and
issues being caused by the deviated septum, without the need to
surgically repair the septum itself.

This
usually involves taking
medication or using other natural methods to reduce swelling and
inflammation of the nasal cavities, or possibly using a
device such as
a nasal
dilator to keep the nasal passages open during sleep. These
options are always
recommended first, and surgery is usually only
performed when all other treatment methods have failed to improve the
condition.

Natural
and
Non-Invasive Treatment Options

If
you simply have trouble breathing due to restricted sinuses, your
first option should be to use a nasal
spray or other similar product
designed to clear up blocked nasal passages, which usually provides at
least some relief for mild deviations.

One of the most popular of these products is Nutribiotic
Nasal Spray,
which contains grapefruit seed extract that has been used for centuries
to treat mild sinus congestion. This spray is completely safe and all
natural, and can be used up to three times per day as needed to help
improve breathing, and has helped many people to overcome some of the
problems associated with their deviated septum.

If you frequently snore or experience mild sleep apnea during
the night, you might want to try a nose strip or nasal dilator to help
keep your nasal passages open while sleeping. While nose
strips for snoring are
definitely more comfortable, the nasal dilators are usually much more
effective and most people get used to sleeping with this device within
a week or so.

The best nasal
dilator
currently on the market is the Snorepin,
which is
made from polyurethane, making it much more comfortable to
wear than the other plastic dilators.

This
device is inserted directly
into each nostril and clips on the end of the nose, allowing it to
remain in place and keep the nostrils open through the night, which
should again take care of all but the most serious sleeping problems
resulting from septum deviation.

Septum
Surgery for When All Else Fails

In
severe cases, your doctor may determine that surgery is necessary to
repair or
realign your septum. This surgery, known as septoplasty, can
be done in a few hours in an outpatient clinic, and is generally
considered to be quite safe. Still, like all surgeries, there is always
a risk of complications, so it is normally only done as a last resort.

When the deviation is a result of a crooked nose due to it being broken
in the past, the septoplasty is often done in conjunction with a
rhinoplasty,
or "nose job", to repair the look of the nose as
well.

In
general, most septoplasty surgeries are quite successful and should
allow the person to breathe much better than before, although it may
still not completely fix all issues. If you're considering this
procedure, you'll need to discuss it with your doctor, as only they
will be able to determine whether or not you are a good candidate.